Counter Sequel to Zemo
by DJ Dubois
Summary: After Zemo's latest crime, Cap goes after his newest foe with a vengeance.
1. Zemo Throws Down the Gauntlet

Counter (Sequel to "Zemo")

DJ Dubois

May 2012

Notes: Captain America and his cohorts belong to Marvel Studios.

Chapter 1 [A Week Following Dr. Zola's Capture]

[Mountain Retreat—Sorvino, Italy]

The icy wind continued to stab through the Alpine passes and peaks on the range's southern edge. A few shaggy goats and birds braved the elements. Occasional pack mules braved wet dirt trails while trucks sputtered their way up steep asphalted inclines. Snow drifted deeply over the cold ground. Nary a track could be seen on its pristine surface.

Obscured by thick cloud cover, a stone structure sat atop one high peak. Its grey granite blended into the surroundings rendering it all but invisible to all but the most scrutinizing search. At its sides, two enormous generators hummed. Solar panels had stored power for the resident's designs. An electrified fence discouraged intruders.

Inside the structure, Baron Zemo tweaked his death ray. Since his defeat at the Howling Commandos' hands, he'd been on the run from the Nazis, Hydra and Allies. He'd barely escaped as three lairs were bombed out from under him. He fumed over the slights toward his stature.

The smoking ruin of his ancestral castle….

Hitler declaring him Public Enemy Number One.

The Red Skull personally taunting him openly.

He shouldered the metallic rifle and considered its weight in his hands. He'd regretted not using it in Le Bleu on the Americans. It had claimed several of the dark suited Hydra agents before they responded with their own cobalt energy weapons. "This time, I will not hold back!" He fired a burst at the concrete panel.

A smoking crater and some ash were all that was left.

The plum hooded villain nodded to himself. The adjustments were complete. On his next engagement, his enemies would see just how he could adjust the settings of his weapon.

A green light flashed on his console.

"All is in readiness!" His eyes narrowed with an insidious combination of glee and intensity as he pulled a lever and pushed two buttons.

A radio signal shot out from the structure toward a valley northeast of his position.

Zemo smiled underneath his hood. "Let those peasants deal with that!"

[Brumwald, Austria]

The popular Alpine ski village bustled with both tourists and Nazi soldiers during the peak winter months. People skied down the mountains, rode the lifts and stayed warm by the fire when finished. Soldiers drilled out of sight of the former but still maintained their presence.

As on most days, things seemed pristine…well until an enormous white tank rolled into town. The monstrosity's treads chewed up the asphalt and cobbles as it progressed. It flattened several medieval era homes and businesses. Its triple guns fired missiles from the left and right nozzles.

Almost on cue, the Nazi squadron rushed the invading machine. They attempted to shoot with a Gatling gun. A bazooka shell exploded against it without so much as a dent. They even brought out their own tank against it.

The white goliath opened a bottom panel. From nozzles therein, Adhesive X shot out onto the cobbles grabbing onto the soldiers' boots and, in some cases, their hands. Its gunk held the Nazis' vehicles in place.

Then the central turret glowed bright red. Its beam did a clean sweep of the square, cutting through metal and incinerating the imprisoned soldiers in its wake. Its pirouette left a circle of ash, blood and melted steel on top of the paste.

As if that wasn't enough, the offending tank exploded in a bright orange flash. A plume of smoke rose into the air marking the spot. The heat and force splintered every structure and shattered every window. A resulting avalanche steamrolled the lodge under a deluge of snow and rocks.

But Zemo wasn't done yet….

As the three dozen remaining denizens and surviving soldiers sought safe haven, a plum colored cloud wafted from the tank's remains. It spread throughout the area seeking out all who could breathe it in.

People gasped and choked on it. They spasmed and screamed. Their eyes bulged as they fell to the ground and writhed in pain.

[Alpine Lair]

Zemo toasted the view screen from where he could see the carnage. He poured himself a glass of his family's finest vintage and toasted his achievement. "Now the fools know what a butcher truly is! Let them find me if they can!"


	2. Goodbye to Bucky

Chapter 2 [Brooklyn—St. Augustine's Cemetery]

Stray flurries drifted earthward from the grey somber overcast dusting the necropolis on that October day. An unusually icy wind more suited to January reddened the assembled body's cheeks. The grass lay yellowed by this premature winterly assault.

The priest, a portly balding man, dutifully recited the last rites for the deceased soldier. He suppressed his shivering for the sake of the fallen. He had spent the previous day comforting the family. Now he glanced at the mourners trying to marshal what strength he had and calling on God for the rest. He looked for aid from above and closed his Bible before stepping back to let the pallbearers do their service.

And as the coffin was lowered into the ground, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes was laid to rest…..

After most had left the cemetery, Steve stood over his best friend's grave. It had been a long flight from Central Europe back to Brooklyn for this event. However that wasn't what concerned him. His eyes burned from the tears too long suppressed. His shoulders ached. His heart felt cold and hollow. Somehow he'd managed to execute his part of the honor guard under Phillips' direction.

The shots echoed in his ears still.

He still saw Bucky falling into that ravine. He fell because of a recoil from the Skull's energy weapon.

He took a shot meant for his best friend.

"Should've been me." He frowned dismally wishing he could swap places with his friend. "I failed you, Bucky."

"Steve, please."

He felt a reassuring hand rubbing his shoulder. He turned to find a slight dark haired man in a brown overcoat and a short woman in a dark coat. "Sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Barnes. I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's fine, Son. Jimmy loved you like a brother," Dominic Barnes assured him. As with his wife, he was startled by Steve's changed appearance and presence. Still they both appreciated that his character and heart hadn't changed in the process.

"Just know he did what he did because he cared," Mrs. Barnes added.

"He cared…." Steve felt his mind flashing back.

[Hydra Prison Camp—Two Months Before]

Steve braced himself on the unstable catwalk while the explosions below buffeted it over and over again. After the Red Skull had detonated his charges, an inferno had engulfed the workroom floor far below. He felt the heat rising like an angry phoenix toward his face.

"JUMP!"

He saw Bucky standing at the other railing more than fifty feet across from him. He shook his head and made a shooing noise with his hand. "GO! GET OUT OF HERE!"

"NO! NOT WITHOUT YOU!" Bucky countered loyally. He felt his own pulse rate climbing. The heat in there was getting unbearable. But he wouldn't leave the Super Soldier….

…no the scrawny kid who wouldn't run from a fight….

…his best friend….

Steve ground his teeth. He bent the retaining bars back to create an opening for himself. Then he backed up to the wall and tensed. "You can do this!" He started running. At the edge, he leapt into the abyss.

Under him, the fires kept flaring and exploding. They consumed all in their path.

One flare targeted him but somehow he twisted from its path. Every muscle strained. His skin was blistering from the heat. But he leaned forward.

He fell just short of his goal but managed a solid hand hold on the other catwalk's edge. His fingers dug in as he tried to get his other hand up.

Just then two hands grabbed onto his right one.

Steve looked up to see Bucky braced against what was left of the railing and yanking him ever so slowly upward. "Told you to leave!"

"I told you…." Bucky seized the other hand flailing in space. "I'm not leaving you! Come on! We're not some damn marshmallows here!"

Steve shook his head at that quip. "Jerk." With his friend's help, he pulled himself onto the somewhat stable footing.

"Twit," Bucky countered with a smile on his face. "I still want to know what they fed you."

"Maybe someday," Steve noted hurriedly. "Come on!" With that he led them down the stairs and toward an exit….

[St. Augustine's]

"Steve?" Mrs. Barnes queried with concern.

"Hmmm?" The question jerked Steve back to his current surroundings. "Sorry I was remembering Bucky's heroism."

"We appreciate that. Please don't beat yourself up, Steve. We know you did all you could," Mr. Barnes indicated. "You're making us all proud. Just wish your folks were here."

"Dad had that business trip. It would've been nice to see him and Mom," Steve lamented. He did genuinely want to see his parents and break his situation to them. "Sorry but I do have to be going. My plane leaves shortly back to Europe. The war waits for no man."

"Thank you for making sure Jimmy got back here and for the honor guard," Mrs. Barnes managed to express while dabbing her face. "You be careful! We want you coming back in one piece."

Steve embraced her warmly. "I couldn't fail him on that one. Take care, both of you."

"You too, Steve. Eyes open and head up." He shook hands with Steve before guiding his wife away toward the gate.

Steve sucked in a deep gut full of frigid air. His shoulders didn't sag as much. Yet his heart felt empty by the loss in front of itself. He stared at the grave and vowed, "I won't disappoint you, Bucky. I'll take down Hydra and Schmitt if it's the last thing I do!"

"Hopefully not so melodramatically, Captain." Peggy Carter approached him carefully while trying to respect his feelings. "Listen to what Captain Barnes' parents said to you. They're right."

"Wish I could see it that way. Too many people dying young. We need to stop the Nazis. Then we can rest," he noted ruefully.

She nodded. "Such is the nature of duty, Steve. We all can be called to sacrifice. And we can honor those who have done so."

"You bet," he concurred while feeling his spirits rising from her presence and reassuring words.

She smiled at the sight of his renewed spark. "Then there's news. When you're ready, Colonel Phillips wanted to see both of us at base. Nothing so far on Schmitt. There's been news on Zemo though."

"Zemo." His eyes narrowed. "The butcher's already back at work?"

"He is unfortunately. Come with me, Captain," she advised.

He turned back toward the grave. "Sorry, Bucky, but duty calls. Baron Zemo needs to be stopped." He saluted his friend one last time before following her lead toward the car.

Duty, it seemed, never took a holiday nor respected grief…..


	3. Stark's Gadgets

Chapter 3 [Brooklyn—Antique Shop]

During the ride over, Steve meditated silently on his feelings. Instead of French villages and deep pine forests, the familiar storefronts and games could be seen through the glass. Despite the beatings by bullies, he remembered the pleasant times growing up.

How he wished he could go back to the time before Le Bleu…before Zemo invaded his mind.

He shivered while reliving the frigid dreamscape. He heard the howling wind. He saw Peggy shooting him again.

He jumped ever so slightly.

"Captain?" Peggy queried with concern.

"Just remembering…the last time," he admitted. "Sorry. Long day."

"Nobody's judging you," she assured him. "I am dealing with the ordeal too. The sooner we deal with that madman, the sooner nobody else has to deal with him."

"Right," he agreed. "Just have to shake it." He got out of the car and stared at the antique shop. "Here?"

"Yes. Why?" she concurred.

"The Nazis know about this place," he pointed out.

"Correction, _Hydra _knows. They aren't exactly sharing information with Hitler these days," she corrected while walking up to the door. "Follow me. They're waiting for us."

Steve nodded and glanced around. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, he tailed her through the door and into the shop.

Meantime Phillips checked his watch for the third time and glanced at the assembled company. "Damn it! Where are they?"

"It wasn't your standard funeral for Rogers," Dum Dum Dugan pointed out. "You know how close he and Barnes were."

"Yeah but life goes on." Phillips glanced toward the spot to his left where Erskine had been shot.

"We're on the clock."

Howard Stark shook his head. "They'll be here." He checked over some gadgets on his workbench.

"And Zemo could be blowing up another village," Phillips countered.

"Wherever it is, Sir, we'll stop Zemo," Steve vowed as he came down the stairs with Peggy. He added a crisp salute for emphasis. "Had to talk to Captain Barnes' parents, Colonel. I'm sure you understand."

While he wanted to say something, Phillips bit it back. He walked back over to the far corner of the lab and picked up a folder. "Got a hit on Zemo yesterday. He apparently sent a suicide tank into Brumwald, Austria. Leveled the entire place. Then he gassed it with some biological agent to torture and kill the people. Bastard's gotta be taken down."

"You two are going to need sealed suits and tanks for that. Fortunately I have just the thing," Howard indicated. He pointed to a closet in the corner. "There are three rubberized suits in there that are specially made to resist pathogens. With them are breathing tanks to be worn on your back. They hook up through a face mask."

"And what happens when we run into that nut?" Dugan wondered. "He'll be ready for us this time."

Stark nodded. "Yes the mind apparatus." He raised the tray in front of himself so they could all see it. On it, he had arranged four pairs of red tinted goggles. "These will protect you. They're made from a special polymer I just discovered. If Zemo tries his staff or the hypnosis again, these will protect you."

"What about that Adhesive X of his?" Peggy wondered after glancing at the report. "It could apparently hold a tank in place."

"Working on a solvent for that stuff. That's what I have for now, Folks. Knock 'em dead for all of us, Folks," Howard concluded.

"We're onboard a plane in an hour, Folks. Pack this gear up and let's get a move on. Stark, you're coming with us too," Phillips instructed. "Private Nelson's already letting folks know. Hope you enjoyed being back in Brooklyn. We're heading back across the Atlantic. Next stop is Austria."

Peggy shook her head. Hearing the private's name brought up her own distrust once again. _What is about Nelson? Something about her isn't right! I know it!_

"Glad I didn't have any meetings," Howard stated as he gathered his papers into a valise and shut it. "Rogers, can I get a hand?"

"Sure." Steve brought the suits over from the closet and set them on the counter. Then he set the tanks on the floor beside them. "I'll get us a cart."

_Glad to see the guy has his head in the game! _Howard nodded in appreciation.

Maybe that flight wouldn't seem so long after all…..

[Nelson's Apartment]

Even as Phillips commandeered the exodus toward Islip, Nelson sat in her apartment and skimmed her notes. As per Phillips' instructions, she had reported to Allied Command about Zemo's movements and notified London of the expedition's return to the Western Front. _The fools do not even suspect! _

In her bathroom, the Hydra jamming device flashed intermittently. Its radio signal insured that no tap would clearly work on her line.

She picked up the phone and dialed the secure line. Then she waited.

_"Ja?" _the Red Skull asked expectantly.

"Rogers has buried Captain Barnes. Stark gave them some sort of weapons to deal with Zemo. Phillips and the others are flying back tonight to Austria," Nelson reported.

"Did you find out what Stark invented? Hydra could find them useful," the Red Skull queried. He knew the American inventor would be working on countering Zemo's hypnosis gadgets. While most of Hydra's designs were miles ahead of Stark's, he knew the American occasionally found something first. "Work on that angle."

"I will, Supreme One! Hail Hydra!" Nelson concurred before signing off. She put her equipment back in its hiding place. Then she grabbed her coat and headed back out.

Maybe the Skull would be getting another piece to report on…..


	4. Blitzes

Chapter 4 [Next Day—Brumwald, Austria] [A/N: Buck Rogers belongs to his copyright holders.]

Phillips and the others had witnessed firefights. They'd waded through fields piled with bodies and washed in blood. They'd seen suffering from the war.

Still nothing prepared them for the horror waiting in the Alpine village. Ancient buildings were splintered into ruins. The snow and rocks covered the ski lodge. Worst still, the corpses lay contorted in a ghastly display; their mouths open in silent screaming and eyes staring at the sky. Clumps of hair lay in piles around themselves.

And even the protective suits and gear couldn't help them.

"Unreal!" Dum Dum complained. "And we thought Schmitt was sick!"

"Sickness is an individual condition of degree, my friend," Howard assessed. He collected blood, skin and hair samples. He sucked in air samples. In all cases, he sealed them air tight. "These though will help."

"As long as they stay contained," Cap noted. While he wasn't a rocket scientist, the super soldier had certainly lost enough comrades. He didn't want any more to add to the count. "This is nuts."

"You've had a front row seat to Zemo's madness, Rogers," Dum Dum reminded him.

"I know." Cap shivered in spite of himself. _Zemo lives to torture innocents! Even his own people aren't safe! _He saw Peggy standing over to the side by herself. _She's having a tough time. _He deliberated between giving her space and going over to her.

Finally, Cupid gave him the Nudge….

Peggy rubbed her forearms in discomfort. As with Cap, the scene reminded her of Zemo's insane nightmarescape. Once again, she had flashed back to the wintry hell. She felt her own inner fears and layers being peeled away for public viewing. She shuddered as she saw Cap lying in her arms after she'd shot him.

But most telling of all, she saw other deaths as well…..

[Three Years Earlier—London]

Cheapside quivered under the nightly assault. The _Luftwaffe_'s payload splintered buildings and dreams. Sirens wailed through the dark air. Fires blazed like small beacons across the section and others. People wailed, crawled to help, cringed in shelters or passed on to their rewards.

Peggy sifted through the rubble frantically. Her parents had sent her on an errand to Smithton's Market down the street. As she collected her milk and eggs, she'd heard the sirens.

Mr. Smithton had insisted she go into the cellar with him and his family. There they waited out the latest raid. They listened to the explosions. They felt the impacts rocking the street.

Then silence greeted their ears.

Peggy rushed back to the one story wooden frame house but it was too late. In its place, she found a burning pile of rubble. "NO! MOM! DAD!" She pulled pieces of wood and heated metal. Her hands burned from the heat but she didn't stop.

Her nose twitched and almost closed up at the odor of charring flesh.

With a great deal of effort, she pushed aside two more burning beams. And then she saw them.

Her parents lay contorted and blackened from the flames. Their faces aghast and locked in eternal scream.

"Oh God! No! Please!" she begged while kneeling over the bodies. She tried to touch them but their skin flaked in black pieces under her fingertips. She shuddered and cried in the midst of the horror—a teenager having to encounter death before her time.

Then she felt a hand. "Miss? Miss? Are you all right? All right?...All right?"

[Brunwald]

She jumped as she felt a slight touch on her shoulders. "Goodness!" She straightened herself and turned to see Cap. "Captain? Forgive me."

"Agent Carter, are you okay?" he queried.

"I'm…surviving." She forced her composure back to the surface. "One never gets used to such atrocities."

He knew she was dealing with some inner demon but respected her space. Still he added, "Not if they want to hold onto their humanity."

She nodded. "Zemo lost his a long time ago. These people were peasants to him. Thralls to be killed at his whim." She made a face and shuddered; her own assessment made her stomach turn.

"I'll never understand that whole medieval thing," he noted while trying to wrap his mind around her last words.

"It seems savage, Captain, but I'm sure not all nobles were so inhumane toward the serfs. It was a hard age. Imagine though how we'd feel if we were being judged by people from another time who thought us primitive and repressed? How would you feel?" she proposed.

That did give him food for thought. "You mean like a Buck Rogers type of deal?" Seeing the confusion in her face, he summarized, "He's a pilot who flies a spaceship and ends up being frozen for 500 years. When he comes back to Earth, he finds his old world gone and struggles to adjust. Guess the judgments went both ways in the story."

"One of your American science fiction heroes," she realized. "But yes, that is exactly my point. We assess things according to our own perspective. Trick is to keep your own ethics alive but see the best in what's around us."

"And here?" he wondered.

She shook her head. "There is no _best _here other than reminding ourselves why we have to stop that bastard." She ground her teeth and shuddered again.

He instinctively embraced her. "I'm sorry. I'm here. Let me guess? Your family?"

"Yes…I lost them to something like this," she admitted. She grabbed onto him tightly. For a full minute, she allowed herself his safe harbor. Rather than the cold, she wanted his warmth, strength and duty. Then she pulled back.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to take advantage," he insisted while feeling embarrassed.

"It's fine. I appreciate your concern and support, Captain," she absolved.

"If you two are finished with your group therapy, we have a session back at base," Dum Dum reminded them.

She set her jaw and marched toward the truck. After the Blitz, she wouldn't need such reminders.

Never again…..

[Alpine Lair]

Even as the quartet moved through Brunwald's ruins, Zemo's eyes followed their every step. Hidden in the wreckage, two cameras tracked the scouting party's moves and emotions. He tapped his fingers on the console. "So the Americans wish to play, do they? I shall have to prepare a fine welcome!"

He flipped a switch making the monitor flicker and then bring up another image.

On its screen—the Regal Theater across the street from Allied Command. The bugs secreted by Zemo's underling before his untimely death at Hydra's hands revealed a Beethoven concert in process. The audience was enthralled and floating on the music.

So much so that they failed to realize the plague bombs surrounding them.

Zemo pressed a red button on the console.

On cue, the door magnetically sealed themselves shut.

The Baron waited as the concerto played on. He did enjoy the music admittedly. As a nobleman, he was cultured albeit with a bloody taint but cultured nonetheless. He savored a glass of wine for a minute savoring the developing scene.

Then the orchestra hit its crescendo.

"_Auf weidersehen!" _Zemo pushed the green button.

Projectiles went off around the theater spreading the same gas as in Brunwald.

The attendees choked and gasped within the structure. They beat on the doors and tried to pull them open to no avail. They staggered and fell to the carpeted floor like flies.

Zemo nodded in appreciation. "And so ends my second act. I'm waiting for you, Captain."


	5. Prep for the Assault

Chapter 5 [Twelve Hours Later—Allied Command]

Colonel Phillips stood stolidly under one of the arches in front of the command center. He puffed on a cigarette and watched the passersby. Occasionally he'd check his watch and mutter something under his breath.

Every once in a while, his eyes would return to the Regal. His breath would catch in his throat for a brief second. "Damn sonnuvabitch."

Like Zemo, he understood the value of psychological warfare.

The people jarred out of their false sense of security as with the Blitz.

The Allies having to (yet again) sweep their facility for bugs and spies.

Phillips puffed again. He remembered the mustard gas as a young corporal during the first World War. He recalled the ghastly _danse macabre _as those caught within the fumes burned for air, gasped and drowned on them. As much as he despised the poem's attack on patriotism and duty, he gave Wilfred Owen due for the apt description of such events in "Dulce et Decorum Est".

Description of such things as Brunwald and now in his backyard.

And if there was one thing Phillips didn't tolerate, it was atrocity in his backyard.

A black car pulled up and came to a stop. From it, Steve, Peggy, Howard and Dum Dum piled out.

"About time you all got back here. You missed the big deal," Philips deadpanned, keeping his own outrage under a mask.

Steve turned to see the cordoned off theater. "What?"

"Zemo struck again, Rogers," Phillips informed him. "His disease stuff just wiped out a whole theater full of people."

"Heavens," Peggy lamented. "When will this madness stop?"

"When we put a bullet in that plum hood of his," Dum Dum assessed.

"Hope you all brought something for our lab boys to work with," Phillips insisted. "Because Roosevelt and Churchill both want an antidote to that stuff ASAP."

Howard motioned to his bag and the two canisters to his right. "I think you'll find what you need in there, Colonel. I took samples from the victims and the air up there. I can go get more."

"Not you, Stark. MI-5's already looking into it. Just get that stuff to the lab boys. And damn it, be careful," Phillips groused before marching back into the compound.

Steve shook his head. As with Peggy, Zemo's continued attacks horrified him. He could deal with the firefights and blood. That was a part of war. But germ warfare like this made him sick. At least Schmitt attacked openly. Granted he was insane and a megalomaniac but there was a difference in degree.

Then he stopped himself. _Killers are killers, Rogers. Both of them need to be taken out. Remember that. Schmitt's still out there and he wants to crush freedom too. _He saw Peggy looking expectantly at him. "Ready to deal with this?"

"You have no idea, Captain," she retorted before marching into the complex purposefully.

Steve exchanged glances with Howard and Dum Dum. Then they followed themselves.

Time to deal with such things…

[Regal]

Across the street, relief workers in gas masks carted bodies out and inspected the grisly scene for any clues. As in Brunwald, there wasn't much to be done save lament for the dead. They saw no signs or trace of the pathogen—not that their equipment would've picked up on it anyhow.

Nelson blended in amongst everyone else. She stayed at the fringes remaining nondescript at best. When people weren't watching, she produced three vial-sized devices and pressed in turn their tops.

The first one detected pathogen residue such as what Zemo used. It vibrated when close to the highest concentrations.

The other two were sample containers.

Nelson used the last two to suck up the remaining dust. Then she slipped out the back and away from MI-5 and the Allies. _Too easy. _She headed for the alley behind the building and found a blue sedan waiting.

A heavy set blonde man strode forward. "The sun shines in June."

"After it rains in May," she replied in preset code. "Right on time, Humfordt." She produced the three devices. "There are samples for Supreme Leader."

"I shall get them to him. Hail Hydra!" he agreed.

"Hail Hydra," she concurred. She glanced around them. It still seemed clear but she knew better than to feel overly confident. "I must be getting back. I will report when I can."

"Do that," he concluded before getting back into the sedan and driving off.

She headed out the back of the alley and down the street. Granted it would take a few extra minutes to walk the longer route but nobody would see her entering Allied Command or changing back into her uniform.

Such was the spy's life…..

[Briefing Room—an hour later]

Phillips stood at the table's head. He locked eyes with the others around the table almost like a bloodhound who was discerning a scent. "Tell me we have something! I HATE when madmen pull something like this on my WATCH! DAMMIT!"

"We're working with every piece of intelligence we have, Colonel. We will get to the bottom of this," Peggy vowed.

"You do that, Agent Carter. Stark, any results?" Phillips retorted firmly.

"The bio-guys are testing it right now," Howard reported. "Meantime though…." He smirked proudly. "We got a fix on that base."

Steve stared at the inventor. "How'd you do that?"

"Zemo wasn't at the site. He set off the explosions by radio signals. One of my associates, Dr. Rowson, was testing known Nazi frequencies when he picked up on one." Howard smiled even more. "We traced it back to a location in the Alps."

Dum Dum squinted at him. He knew Stark was a hot shot weapons guy but that was beyond what anyone could do or so he thought. "And how'd you do that? Wasn't aware that we had watchdogs for radio."

"It works like radar," Howard clarified. "Just as we use radio waves to scope out what's on the ground from the air, so we can do it with this too. In this case, we used the Rand as the 'bounce point'. Rowson projected the path using my new frequency defribilator device." He walked to the giant map in back of Phillips. "May I, Colonel?"

"Just get on with it, Stark," Phillips urged impatiently.

Howard shrugged off the response and pressed on. "We traced the signal to here." He pointed to Sorvino.

"And you're sure, right?" Dum Dum presumed. "Hell of a climb to come up empty, Stark."

Howard shot him a wounded look. "I got you a general read."

"It's okay, Stark," Phillips relented while reading from an open manila folder. "We know of an old monastery in that vicinity. It would be the only suitable structure for Zemo to convert to his uses." He turned on an overhead projector and placed the image on it to display. "The old St. Anthony monastery. Operated from 670 to just after the first World War. Lots of places for a crazed genius like Zemo to make use of," the Colonel assessed.

"Where are the monks? We can't let them be hostages," Peggy pointed out.

"Monks are long gone, Agent Carter. They were relocated to another monastery thirty miles away at the time. Zemo's by himself," Phillips noted. "You all are to get in there, destroy his weapons and bring him back dead or alive. Am I clear?"

Steve nodded. "Perfectly, sir."

Phillips leaned across the table and stared him in the eye. "Knew you'd answer me, Rogers. Don't let me down." He straightened himself. "Dismissed. Be at the truck in thirty minutes, People!"

"We'll brief _en route_, my Friends," Stark declared as he left for his lab.

Steve glanced anxiously at Peggy before heading out. He had preparations of his own to make.

She took a deep breath. _Come back safely, Captain._

Phillips motioned with his eyes toward the door. Then he handed her a set of goggles.

She nodded and put the goggles on. Then she glanced out into the hallway. She blinked incredulously. "There are purple footprints!"

"Stark's pixie dust. Had him put it around a certain someone's desk. Be ready in the motor pool," he told her before departing himself.

_Got you! _She smirked to herself while following.

[Twenty minutes later]

Steve sat on a bench by the side of the garage. He'd taken time to change into his costume and retrieve his shield. In addition he wanted to put his thoughts in order about the mission at hand. _No telling what Zemo's going to have for us on that mountain. We're in for a death march!_

_Why are you going to war? _The old words echoed through his head.

_I can't stand bullies….._

Erksine's memory smiled at him. _We have enough big men fighting this war. Maybe what we need is the little guy…._

…_Don't try to be the best soldier. Promise me you'll remain a good man….._

Steve's brow furrowed. _He's right. Got to do this. Phillips is right. Can't let folks down. No matter what, Zemo is done. _

"It's almost time," Peggy announced from the side. She glanced down at him expectantly. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Steve shrugged. "Just thinking of what Erksine would want me to do."

"He'd want you to deal with Zemo and put an end to these disasters. The man's a war criminal, Captain. You won't be alone either," she informed him.

"Howard will be with us in the air. And the Commandos?" he presumed.

"They're getting their gear as we speak." She cleared her throat. "Steve, watch yourself."

"Always do," he insisted.

She looked at him pointedly. "That bastard will have every inch of that mountain booby trapped."

"More than likely, Agent Carter. We can't let that stop us," he retorted just as firmly. "He's a war criminal and needs to be brought down."

"Along with the rest of the Nazis. I have faith in you and the others. Do the task," she affirmed locking eyes with him.

He felt the familiar warmth coursing from her irises to his. "Maybe we can go dancing?"

"Perhaps," she hinted coyly. "We'll talk after your return."

"Hey, Rogers, it's time," Dum Dum announced.

"Right. Thanks," Steve concurred. He grabbed his shield and helmet. "Be seeing you."

"And you," she concurred while heading back toward the door into the complex. She glanced back once more before disappearing into the passageway.

He took a deep breath and joined the others in the back. "Sorry, guys."

"Maybe a reminder of caution, Rogers?" Montgomery supposed.

"Or not to get your ass shot off?" Dum Dum chimed in. "We're all in this together."

Steve nodded as the driver started the vehicle. "We'll all need to be careful, guys. It's not going to be a cakewalk."

"We know. Sounds like fun actually," Montgomery presumed as they took off down the road.

Nelson peered around the corner. She of course had listened into the meeting through the bugs in that room. Now she could report on the mission. As soon as the truck vanished from view, she slipped back down the passageway. After several turns, she entered the office area.

There Peggy waited for her expectantly. "Been out for a stroll, Private Nelson?" She leaned up against the other woman's desk.

Nelson shrugged. Peggy's appearance did catch her off guard but she wasn't undone. "I had to go to the Ladies' room."

"Really?" Peggy's eyebrow quirked. "That would be the other way. Just come from the motor pool, did we?" She straightened herself.

_How did she? _Nelson shook her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Agent Carter. You're still upset about that kiss with Captain Rogers, I'll bet."

Peggy smiled coldly. "Your lack of morals aside, Private, the matter's been taken care of. Let's focus on the matter at hand, shall we?"

Nelson started to reach for her pocket.

Phillips strolled in with a pistol drawn. "I don't think you want to do that, Private. Now keep the hands in the air nice and peaceful like, shall we?"

The Hydra spy scowled. "Colonel Phillips, you too? I've got that report almost…."

"Can it, Sweetheart. We know where you've been. We've searched your apartment and found lots of great toys. Imagine what Stark's going to do with them?" he informed her with an air of sarcasm. "Least we know where Schmitt's been getting his intel from."

"Come with us, Private. Captain Rogers and I can make a case for you. You did help get us out of Zemo's castle. That will work in your favor," Peggy suggested.

"_Nein!" _The blonde agent bit down on her cyanide tooth. "I will never surrender!"

"Damn it! Carter! Stop her!" he realized.

By the time, Peggy reached her, Nelson's mouth had filled with the white foam.

"Cut off one head…two more shall take its place!" Nelson collapsed to the floor and spasmed grotesquely. "Hail…HYDRA!" With that her eyes closed and she slumped into Death's embrace.

"I hate spies," he assessed with a sad shake of his head. "Especially one that slithered her way into my inner circle."

"Schmitt is devious, Colonel," Peggy noted with a bit of discomfort. "We really need Mr. Stark to step up some sort of counter-surveillance equipment."

"Senator Brandt's really going to get it from the President by the time I'm through," he declared before marching out of the office. "Meantime I need to let those boys know that their plan's been compromised."

Peggy shook her head. _If she knew, Schmitt probably will respond. _She felt anxious about her friends and Captain being stuck in a Nazi style vice. _Be careful, Steve!_


	6. Onto Sorvino

Chapter 6

[Hydra's Alpine Base]

Even as Cap and his companions headed for Sorvino, Hydra's eyes watched carefully. Black garbed analysts decoded and prepped details for the Supreme Commander. In other parts of the complex, the organization put the final touches on Project Valkyrie.

Most importantly, Agent Rommel's sacrifice would not be in vain…..

The Red Skull frowned at the news. He'd come to depend upon Rommel/Nelson's updates from within Allied Command. Not only did her death silence the connection, it intensified Phillips' scrutiny and dropped Hydra devices into Stark's lap for analysis. Granted he knew Stark wouldn't be able to do much with the technology but it was a concern.

At least Stark wasn't in Dr. Zola's class in that regard.

Pity that Zola had that auto accident in Switzerland….

The Skull determined not to waste his agent's sacrifice. Due to her efforts, Hydra now knew Zemo's location and the Allies' mission against it. If he could get hold of the bioweapons, he could integrate them into Valkyrie. Most of all, he could be rid of his 'brother of sorts'. _You are a problem, Captain! _He pushed a button on the console.

Two toadies scrambled into the room and stood at attention.

The Skull considered them carefully before instructing, "Assemble Team Alpha! They will go to Sorvino. Captain America is to be taken alive and brought back here! The others are to be exterminated. Retrieve the equipment for Hydra's use. Am I clear?"

"_Ja vohl!" _the duo concurred before rushing out.

The Skull nodded in approval. Granted he hated boot licking but it had its purpose. He knew the preparations were underway. Accordingly he poured himself a glass of wine and played a concerto. He sipped from his glass and toasted in the direction of the Italian Alps. "That was check! Your move, Captain."

[20,000 Feet Above the Italian/Austrian Border—Six Hours Later]

Howard checked the specs on his latest device before glancing around at the group. He wanted the jamming device to do backflips and cartwheels. Alas he had to settle for it just jamming a few frequencies including Zemo's security.

The pilot called through the cockpit door. "We've crossed into Italy! Sorvino's about five minutes out! Get your chutes ready!"

"Going to see action _finally_?" Dum Dum presumed.

"Got to keep your weapons flowing, right?" Howard declined. He glanced at Cap. "Ready for another go around?"

"Always. Zemo's gotta be stopped," Cap affirmed. He strapped on his parachute. "Anything for that mist stuff?"

"Wish I had something. The techs are working back in London on that," Howard lamented. "Hey be careful. That nut's probably got the whole mountain rigged."

"More than likely. Makes it interesting but we can't back out now," Cap asserted as the side door opened. He looked down into the Alpine mist. "Wonder what's below us?"

"Hopefully a few cows and some friendly farm girls," Montgomery supposed as he and the Commandos lined up. "Ready, Rogers?"

"Always," Cap concurred as he waited for the cue.

"MARK!" the pilot yelled.

One by one, the 'away team' jumped out, disappearing into the mists.

Howard shut the door and stuck his head into the cockpit. "They're gone! He grabbed the mike to the radio. "Base, this is Mission. Packages are dropped. Repeat! Packages are dropped! Out!"

"Think they have a chance?" the pilot wondered.

"Better than average," Howard assessed. _Come on, guys. Make us look good, will you?_


	7. On the Mountain

Chapter 7

Despite the fog, Zemo's devices had detected the paratroopers' descent into the valley below. His infrared scanners cut through the murky soup and provided lit blips on his screens. "Do come to me, you American swine!" He flipped a switch at his side.

And with that, every defense on the mountain came to life.

[Allied Command Communications Center]

Peggy leaned back in her chair and waited for word from the others. Admittedly she worried about Zemo's potential death traps on the mountain. Her mind cycled through potential land mines, poison gas, robots, fire jets and other unsavory things. She glanced at the clock to find that it read two hours since Howard's last message. _Come on. They're okay. You haven't heard anything! Captain, please don't be rash!_

"Base, this is the Eagle. Over?" Cap's voice sounded through the speaker.

_Thank Heavens! _She took a deep breath to compose herself before responding, "It is good to hear from you, Eagle. Are you below?"

"Affirmative. Instruct Colonel we're about to start climbing. We shall do so with extreme caution. Will radio back with status updates. Eagle, out," he concluded before signing off.

She bit her lip. _Godspeed you all! _She flipped a switch. "Get me, Colonel Phillips!"

[Valley]

Montgomery studied the heavy overcast clouds above the company's heads. "Bloody thick soup. Hope like the Devil that can cover our tracks."

"Don't count on it," Cap assessed while checking his pistol. "We're probably looking at a minefield drilled straight into the mountain face."

"Cheery thought, Rogers," Dum Dum retorted. "You really know how to bring out the best in things, don't ya?"

"Just remembering how twisted Zemo is," Cap reminded them all. "Come on. I'd feel better if we were undercover." He cautiously stepped into the wooded section at the peak's base.

"He's got a point," Fresno admitted while glancing around anxiously. "The sooner we're up there and take care of that jackass, the better."

With that, the Commandos and Cap crept carefully through the underbrush. The tall pines and fog above would've made it hard for anyone to spot them by air. They kept a careful eye peeled for camera or other traps. Several times they managed to disable tripwires and sweep for other booby traps. It slowed everything to a crawl but they'd be safe at least.

For the next half hour, Cap led them up the mountain. Finally he heard a hissing noise. "Get down!" He flung his shield into the woods.

The weapon clanged off three metallic items as he looped back to him.

From the damaged metal, a blue flame shot out of the ground.

"Flame throwers! Bloody buggers!" Montgomery complained.

"Guess he knows we're here," Dum Dum groused.

"I assume so and…." Cap saw another metallic glint at their feet. "What is this?"

"An access shaft? This is too easy!" Dum Dum assessed.

"It's an air shaft," Cap guessed. "And our way in!" He saw movement out of the corner of his eye. "GUYS!" He raised his shield.

A blue disintegrative burst crackled off of it like rain.

Two of the Commandos disappeared in bright blue flashes of light.

"Manelli! Bottomsworth! Dammit!" Dum Dum opened fire with his machine gun.

Two dark suited Hydra agents collapsed to the turf. Several others fired navy blue beams back at the remaining Americans.

"Rogers, go! We'll follow!" Montgomery ordered harshly from the bushes he'd ducked behind.

Cap ground his teeth. "I'll get that bully out of there. Could use some help though." He leapt into the shaft and slid down into the dark.

Barely a second later, two beams vaporized the entrance behind him cutting off the access.

"FALL BACK INTO THE WOODS!" Dum Dum bellowed as the group retreated to cover before the half dozen dark suited Hydra agents.

Cap, it seemed, was on his own…


	8. Showdown with Zemo

Chapter 8 [Inside of the mountain]

Cap landed on a granite floor under the shaft's opening. He could see the blue discharge reflecting off of the metallic remains. "Now Hydra? Caught between a rock and a hard place." He unclipped a flashlight from his belt and shone it around the area.

The light revealed a narrow cave passage. The granite walls and floors seemed untouched. At the far end, a wooden ladder extended upward into the dark above.

He shook his head recalling the mindscape torture. _Zemo doesn't telegraph his moves. There's something not right here. _He cautiously stepped forward.

A tripwire snapped against his left boot.

A flame jet blazed from his left.

Cap raised his shield to block the flames. Then he ducked down to floor level.

Two blue disintegrator rays criss-crossed above his head where he'd been.

_Nice of him to roll out the welcome wagon! _He crawled along the stone floor.

Overhead, the lasers shot out randomly but only found air in their path.

Upon reaching the passage's end, he stood and caught his breath. "Wow." Then he heard a snap from where he'd started and raised his shield again.

A poison dart shattered against the vibranium's surface.

_Zemo should design boot camps. _Cap started to quickly climb out of the cave lest he run into any more of Zemo's surprises. He held his shield over his midsection in case any machine guns or projectiles targeted him. He also listened for poison gas jets or anything of that nature.

Strangely all was silent. Too silent….

He stepped onto the rocky ledge from the top of the old wooden ladder. Again the quiet hung heavily in his ears. He carefully made his way along the passage's edge knowing that the middle of the floor held more than its share of booby traps. In front of him, an ajar wooden door had a light shining in back of it. He heard machinery behind it as well.

"The Americans will die and then I'll finish Hydra!" the Baron's voice surmised.

_It's him. _He slowly inched the door open while holding his shield in position.

In response, a hail of machine gun bullets blew through the wood and off of his shield.

"If you're going to sneak out there, Fool, you can die like a rat!" Zemo instructed from behind the door. He shot another round at the door further splintering it.

"Wish you'd get the point, Zemo. This isn't a game," Cap retorted while stepping into the chamber. He observed the full laboratory and workbench. Behind his adversary sat a big wooden vat.

"How true, Captain." Zemo nodded in appreciation. "You beat the odds yet again, _Amerikaner_. Your friends are under fire outside. You survived my death devices below. Yet I know how to deal with you!" He produced his will staff. "Remember this?" He made the end glow and tried to dazzle Cap's eyes again.

Due to the Allied preparations, Cap didn't fall for it this time. Despite the headache, he kept his resolve and flung his shield at the Baron. "That thing needs to go!"

The projectile shattered the will staff's hypnotic device causing the former to explode.

"CURSE YOU!" Zemo aimed his death ray at the American hero next. He fired a series of blasts.

Cap dodged the deadly light beams but kept his eyes on Zemo. He waited for his shield to fly back to him. As he did, he saw the shield heading for the vat behind the villain. "ZEMO!"

Before either could react, the shield punctured the container before bouncing back to Cap's hand.

Adhesive X spat out of the hole in all directions. It shorted out the machines around itself. It gunked up the weapons in the vicinity.

Cap ducked behind a large metallic device letting it take the punishment.

Zemo, on the other hand, while managing to avoid getting stuck in place, had it worse. The glue had fixed his mask in place. He howled in pain while trying to get the purple hood off. Finally he hissed, "YOU'LL DIE FOR THIS!" He pressed a button to his left.

A slot opened in the wall.

"_Auf weidersehen, Kaptain!" _Zemo concluded angrily as he stumbled into the slot and slid into the darkness below.

A thick metallic panel sealed off the Nazi's escape route.

"Blast! He's gone!" Cap realized. He saw the solution dripping off of the machines and equipment.

One of those devices sparked and started to burn. Flames could be seen coming from it.

"Time to get out of here!" He had no wish to repeat his escape from the Hydra POW factory. He rushed out of the lab and slid along the wall as quickly as he could.

As he reached the ladder, the laboratory exploded sending flames down the hallway.

Cap scurried down the ladder; his boot steps creaking on each rung as he descended toward the cavernous passage below. Several times his heart tightened at the sound of splintering oak underfoot. He managed to keep himself straight on the shaking descent. Reaching the bottom, he remembered to crawl once again.

In the hallway above, the flames covered everything but billowed fruitlessly into the expanse. They wouldn't reach their intended victim.

_I'm going to make it out of here! I will see Peggy again! _He made his way along the floor to where the passage hole still opened above. _If Hydra's up there, I'll be a sitting duck!_

"ROGERS! HEY! YOU DOWN THERE?" Howard's voice called down.

"Mr. Stark? How's it look up there?" Cap called back.

"I brought help to clean out the Hydra agents up here. The Commandos and I are waiting on you," Howard retorted.

Cap rolled his eyes while climbing up the passage. After feeling his way over craggy rock, the smooth and cool metal seemed a relief. He saw the light above sooner than he had anticipated. He peered out of the destroyed air shaft to see the scene in front of himself.

The Commandos held several Hydra agents at disintegrator point.

Other dark suited agents lay unconscious on the forest floor.

"You find that sonnuvagun, Rogers?" Montgomery queried pointedly.

Cap grimaced. "Yeah I did." He pulled off his helmet to let the air get at his face. He ran his gloved hands through his blonde hair. "He tried to kill me but he got taken out by his own stuff. That glue stuff of his hit him in the face."

"Adhesive X got him there?" Howard winced. "He did have that hood on, right?"

"He did but he couldn't get it off. He escaped down some passage. It sealed up before I could follow. Then the lab blew up," Cap reported. "I just avoided getting burned to a crisp."

"Just like in Hiedelburg. You do like those close calls." Dum Dum shook his head.

"What happened with these Hydra goons?" Cap wondered.

Howard shrugged. "These guys ambushed you all. They had the Commandos retreating into the woods before I had the pilot circle around and drop a gas bomb on their heads. The rest was easy." He blew on his fist and rubbed it against his chest.

"Try fighting it out here on the front lines before saying that, Pal," Dum Dum insisted. "Come on, Boys!" He motioned with the disintegrator gun. "That way!" With that, he led the captive Hydra agents toward the aircraft.

"Whatever. Come on, Rogers. I'll be glad when we're back in England," Howard insisted. "At least you got rid of Zemo. Phillips and the brass will be happy."

"Yeah." Cap looked back at the mountain top above. He could see the monastery covered in flames while smoke billowed skyward. _Zemo's still in there some place. There's no way he could've escaped. But why do I have the feeling he did? _He shook his head while following the others toward the aircraft.

He'd had enough of that place. Now he wanted to get back to Allied territory and a certain agent waiting for him.


	9. Seeds of Future Consideration Sewn

Conclusion

[Hydra's Alpine Base—The Following Day]

The Red Skull marched through the half-filled hangar with pride. He could see his invasion fleet taking shape before himself. Several dozen small biplanes surrounded two larger jetcraft. Their explosive payload lay piled off to the side.

In the rooms above, the pilots trained on the late Dr. Zola's simulators.

_At least my master plan is ready! _He felt better about the prospect of a sudden strike against the Allies and Hitler. He'd have to brief the troops tomorrow about his plan. In the meantime, he still wondered about his strike force. He knew their report was due back soon. He set a cigarette between his teeth and lit it with a silver lighter.

A couple of puffs did nothing to dispel his musings.

Then footsteps echoed to his ears.

"Who disturbs me?" he wondered. He wheeled around to see a slender man in a dark coat and thick black rimmed glasses approaching him with a manila folder. "_Herr Albrecht, _do you have something for me?"

Albrecht nodded nervously while handing the superior his report. Then he stood at attention.

The Skull considered him. "I do not shoot messengers for such things. You were not in command of the mission." Then he opened the file and scanned its contents. "I see."

Team Alpha was dead either by suicide or a bullet in the head.

The Commandos and Captain America escaped unscathed.

Stark had more weapons to study.

Worse still, Zemo and his weapons were lost in the explosion.

_Zemo _The Skull frowned darkly while shutting the file. He had so hoped to humiliate his rival. At least nobody could duplicate the Super Soldier serum.

Yet another debt he owed to his American "brother".

"Commander?" Albrecht asked anxiously.

"Hmmm?" The Skull turned back toward the underling. "Be strong. Inform the others that I will brief them within the hour."

"Of course!" With that, Albrecht turned and walked away.

The Skull puffed away some more on his cigarette. He considered the main airship for Project Valkyrie. Soon enough it would rain fire on his enemies.

And when he'd crushed the world, he'd celebrate….

[Allied Command]

Steve sat in his barracks and collected his thoughts. Despite the close call in the monastery, the mission had successful results.

Howard was figuring out the captured weaponry and gas samples.

Phillips and MI-5 worked on more security upgrades.

Zemo wasn't a threat any longer.

_Zemo…._Steve furrowed his brow. Death had claimed several enemies during this mission. Two he couldn't believe were gone—Private Nelson and the Baron. _I know I should be mourning but I feel so torn. Such a waste!_

Still for some reason he had that nagging feeling that the Baron was still out there.

_Lighten up, Rogers! _He heard a knock at the door. "Yes?"

Peggy smiled at him. "You seem so serious, Captain. I figured you could use some good news. Perhaps I should come back?"

"No." He blushed at his desire for her to be there with him. "I'd…like it if you'd stay. What's going on?" He got up off of his bed and walked over to her.

She opened a folder. "Stark's making inroads on that equipment you brought back. Hopefully that'll be something. The Commandos are recruiting new members. No sign of Zemo either." She shut the report again.

"He's out there somewhere," he asserted.

"Steve, there was no way…." she started.

He shook his head. "Zemo slid down a reinforced shaft of some kind. I'll bet he made it if he survived being hit with his Adhesive X."

"What about it? His hood should've protected him," she assumed.

"The stuff seeped through. He was in pain as he escaped." Steve bowed his head. "I wanted to stop him not maim him."

She took a deep breath and let her feelings out. "You didn't intentionally spill that on him. Zemo had it in his lab. He never hesitated to use it."

He looked at her pointedly not believing his ears. He resisted the urge to really lecture her on that point. Instead he replied, "We shouldn't stoop to his level. I'm still angry about the mind control stuff like you are. However I won't be a butcher like he is. Nor can I let you turn into that." He gazed into her eyes. "I don't want you to turn into that."

She could clearly see the caring there. Still she resumed her mask. She felt ashamed of the hate bubbling inside of herself. "I'm sorry. You're right, Captain. I should do better."

"That's why we're fighting the Nazis, right?" he supposed. "Trust me. I understand." He smiled to show his support. "Lord willing, we'll survive this war."

"Lord willing," she concurred with a grateful smile for his understanding. _I wish I could be as strong as you, Captain. Still I'll be here for you no matter what! _

Even as he treasured the moment, he still considered his nagging insecurities. _Where are you, Zemo? Wish I felt better about him!_

And the nagging continued…..

[Sorvino]

Deep under the devastated monastery, Zemo crawled out from under the explosion's debris. As Steve has supposed, he had slid safely down the shaft into the catacombs just as the explosion blew out the monastery's top levels.

Fortunately Zemo had planned for such an eventuality. He'd braced himself under a shelf which had taken the worst part of the impact. He'd nearly been crushed by the weight but managed to keep his focus enough to claw toward freedom.

His face had stopped tingling during that time. Hard attempts at trying to uncover his face had proven fruitless. Accordingly it would serve as his personal mark of Cain. Another issue—he couldn't eat or drink anything since it had bonded to his mouth.

The Allies and Hitler would be hunting for him. Hence it wasn't safe to dig his way out even if he wanted to.

_I'm a dead man. I am sealed here. But I will survive…. _He waded through the wood and muddy refuse and forced the door open on the far side.

In the next room, a steel tube with pipes running to and from the wall had survived miraculously. The machinery surrounding it had nary a scratch on it.

"I shall wait in here. See if the American can survive a sleep like this? I shall awaken when it is time!" Zemo opened the tube and climbed inside. Then he shut the lid over himself.

On cue, cryogenic gas flowed through the pipes and into the small chamber.

Zemo breathed deeply of the fumes and made himself relax. His eyes closed and he fell into a deep sleep. His pulse slowed to almost nothing.

And thus the Baron slept as the world progressed. Times and lifespans came and went. Trends changed. Traditions fell. Revolution swept the world he knew aside.

Yet as with the flowers under winter's white blanket, he would rise again. Woe on Cap and his allies when that day came.

Woe indeed…..

THE END


End file.
